Geofiltering for content by location

• US 9,203,910 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Gutarin, Alexander V., Imam, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US14/081,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method receives a first request from a user device for content. First geolocation information for the user device is determined. The method facilitates a determination whether the first geolocation information complies with a geographical restriction associated with the content. Then, the method receives second geolocation information provided by the user device from a media server that received a second request for the content from the user device and a token generated based on the first geolocation information complying with the geographical restriction. A determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction associated with the content is facilitated where the determination causes a message indicating whether to allow or deny the second request to be sent to the media server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first request from a user device for content, wherein first geolocation information for the user device is determined;

facilitating, by the computing device, a determination whether the first geolocation information complies with a geographical restriction associated with the content;

receiving, by the computing device, second geolocation information provided by the user device from a media server that received a second request directed to an address for the content from the user device and a token generated based on the first geolocation information complying with the geographical restriction; and

facilitating, by the computing device, a determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction associated with the content by verifying at least a portion of an address from the token with the address in which the second request for the content was directed, wherein the determination causes a message indicating whether to allow or deny the second request to be sent to the media server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request includes a user device identifier that is used to determine the first geolocation information for the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating the determination whether the first geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises:

sending, by the computing device, a query to a restriction database to determine if the first geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction, wherein the restriction database stores the geographical restriction for the content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the token comprises receiving, by the computing device, the address to the content, wherein the address includes the token; and

facilitating, by the computing device, the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises determining that the at least the portion of the address from the token matches at least a portion of the address in which the second request for the content was directed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the geographical restriction is included in the token; and

facilitating, by the computing device, the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises determining whether the second geographical location matches the geographical restriction included in the token.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

facilitating, by the computing device, the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises determining that a time component associated with the token has not expired, and

the second request is denied when the time component has expired.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

facilitating, by the computing device, the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises sending, by the computing device, the message indicating whether to allow or deny the second request to the media server.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first request from a user device for content, wherein first geolocation information for the user device is determined;

facilitating, by the computing device, a determination whether the first geolocation information complies with a geographical restriction associated with the content;

receiving, by the computing device, second geolocation information provided by the user device from a media server that received a second request for the content from the user device and a token generated based on the first geolocation information complying with the geographical restriction; and

facilitating, by the computing device, a determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction associated with the content, wherein the determination causes a message indicating whether to allow or deny the second request to be sent to the media server, wherein;

the second request is received when the user device sends a third request including the token to a media program provider that determines that the token included in the third request matches a token at the media program provider that was stored in response to determining the first geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction associated with the content.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

receiving a first request from a user device for content, wherein first geolocation information for the user device is determined;

facilitating a determination whether the first geolocation information complies with a geographical restriction associated with the content;

receiving second geolocation information provided by the user device from a media server that received a second request directed to an address for the content from the user device and a token generated based on the first geolocation information complying with the geographical restriction; and

facilitating a determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction associated with the content by verifying at least a portion of an address from the token with the address in which the second request for the content was directed, wherein the determination causes a message indicating whether to allow or deny the second request to be sent to the media server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first request includes a user device identifier that is used to determine the first geolocation information for the user device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein facilitating the determination whether the first geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises:

sending a query to a restriction database to determine if the first geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction, wherein the restriction database stores the geographical restriction for the content.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

receiving the token comprises receiving the address to the content, wherein the address includes the token; and

facilitating the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises determining that the at least the portion of the address from the token matches at least a portion of the address in which the second request for the content was directed.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

the geographical restriction is included in the token; and

facilitating the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises determining whether the second geographical location matches the geographical restriction included in the token.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

facilitating the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises determining that a time component associated with the token has not expired, and

the second request is denied when the time component has expired.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

facilitating the determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction comprises sending the message indicating whether to allow or deny the second request to the media server.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

receiving, by a computing device, a first request from a user device for content, wherein first geolocation information for the user device is determined;

facilitating, by the computing device, a determination whether the first geolocation information complies with a geographical restriction associated with the content;

receiving, by the computing device, second geolocation information provided by the user device from a media server that received a second request for the content from the user device and a token generated based on the first geolocation information complying with the geographical restriction; and

facilitating, by the computing device, a determination whether the second geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction associated with the content, wherein the determination causes a message indicating whether to allow or deny the second request to be sent to the media server, wherein;

the second request is received when the user device sends a third request including the token to a media program provider that determines that the token included in the third request matches a token at the media program provider that was stored in response to determining the first geolocation information complies with the geographical restriction associated with the content.

17. A method comprising:

sending, by a computing device, a first request for content including first information useable to determine a first location for the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, a token based on verifying of the first location of the computing device with a geographical restriction for the content;

sending, by the computing device, a second request directed to an address for a media server for the content, the second request including the token and second information useable to determine a second location for the computing device; and

receiving, by the computing device, access to the content when the media server verifies that the token included in the second request and the second location comply with the geographical restriction for the content and verifies at least a portion of an address from the token with the address in which the second request for the content was directed.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing, by the computing device, the token to a media program player of the computing device;

sending, from the media program player of the computing device, the second request for the content.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the token included in the third request includes the geographical restriction.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the media server verifies that the token included in the third request and the second location comply with the geographical restriction for the content by sending a verification request to a geocheck service that verifies the second geographical location with the geographical restriction for the content.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the computing device receives access to the content when the media server verifies a time component associated with the token has not expired.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the computing device receives access to the content when the media server verifies a component associated with the third request matches a component in the token.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the first information and the second information comprise user identification information that changes based on a geographical location of the computing device.

19. A method comprising:

sending, by a computing device, a first request for content including first information useable to determine a first location for the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, a first address based on verifying of the first location of the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, a token based on verifying of the first location of the computing device with a geographical restriction for the content;

sending, by the computing device, a second request including the token and the first address to a media program provider;

receiving, by the computing device, a second address to the content when the token included in the second request matches a token at the media program provider that was stored in response to verifying of the first location of the computing device;

sending, by the computing device, a third request directed to the second address to a media server for the content, the third request including the token and second information useable to determine a second location for the computing device; and

receiving, by the computing device, access to the content when the media server verifies that the token included in the second request and the second location comply with the geographical restriction for the content.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein sending the second request comprises using, by the computing device, the first address to send the third request to the media server.